# Top-level domain (TLD)

Category: [Technical SEO](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/technical-seo/) › [URLs & domains](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/technical-seo/urls-domains/) · Also known as: TLD

A **top-level domain (TLD)** is the last label of a domain name, the part after the final dot, for example `com` in `example.com`. TLDs sit directly below the root of the Domain Name System, and IANA maintains the list of them in the root zone database.

## Which types of TLDs exist?

IANA's root zone database sorts TLDs into these types:

- **Generic (gTLD):** descriptive endings such as `.com`, `.org`, `.info`, plus newer ones such as `.photography`.
- **Country-code (ccTLD):** two-letter endings for countries and territories, such as `.de` or `.jp`. See the entry on ccTLDs.
- **Sponsored (sTLD):** restricted to a community, for example `.edu` or `.museum`. A sponsoring organization sets the eligibility rules.
- **Generic-restricted:** endings such as `.biz` and `.name` with registration requirements.
- **Infrastructure:** `.arpa`, which is used for technical purposes such as reverse DNS lookups.

ICANN sets policy for TLDs and delegates operation of each one to a registry. The registry decides who may register names and at what price.

## TLDs and search

Google treats the TLD as a geographic signal in one case only. Country-code TLDs are tied to a country and, according to Google, signal to users and search engines that a site is meant for that country. Generic TLDs such as `.com` carry no location, so sites on them need other signals for country targeting, such as hreflang annotations. Google also lists a few country-code endings, such as `.co` and `.io`, that it treats as generic.

## Example

| URL | TLD | Type |
|---|---|---|
| `example.com` | `com` | generic |
| `example.de` | `de` | country-code |
| `example.edu` | `edu` | sponsored |

## Common mistakes

- **Treating country endings such as `.io` or `.co` as a country signal.** Google lists, among others, `.ad`, `.ai`, `.co`, `.io`, `.me` and `.tv` as ccTLDs it treats as generic.
- **Relying on `.eu` or `.asia` for country targeting.** Google treats both like `.com` or `.org`, so the country has to be signaled by other means such as hreflang.

## At a glance

- **Type:** domain ending, last label of the domain name
- **Affects:** country association (for country-code TLDs)
- **Values:** .com, .de, .org, .edu
- **Docs:** [IANA Root Zone Database](https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db)

Last checked: October 8, 2026

## URL structures for country versions compared

| Structure | Example | Target country recognisable? | Pros according to Google | Cons according to Google |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country-code domain (ccTLD) | example.de | yes, a strong signal to users and search engines | clear geotargeting, server location irrelevant, easy separation of sites | expensive and sometimes limited availability, more infrastructure, strict ccTLD requirements in some cases, one country only |
| Subdomain on a gTLD | de.example.com | not always clear from the URL alone (is "de" the language or the country?) | easy to set up, allows different server locations, easy separation of sites | users might not recognise the targeting from the URL alone |
| Subdirectory on a gTLD | example.com/de/ | not always clear from the URL alone | easy to set up, low maintenance (same host) | users might not recognise the targeting from the URL alone, single server location, harder to separate sites |
| URL parameters | example.com?loc=de | not always clear from the URL alone | – (not recommended by Google) | URL-based segmentation difficult, users might not recognise the targeting from the URL alone |

Sources: [Google Search Central: Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites (last updated 2025-12-10)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites); [Search Console Help: International Targeting report (deprecated)](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/62399). Last checked: October 8, 2026

*Diagram: Anatomy of a URL.* A URL broken into its parts. RFC 3986 defines scheme, host, path, query and fragment. Only the browser evaluates the fragment after #, it is not sent to the server.

## Related terms

- [Domain](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/domain/index.md)
- [Subdomain](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/subdomain/index.md)
- [ccTLD](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/cctld/index.md)
- [hreflang](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/hreflang/index.md)
- [Cross-domain canonical](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/cross-domain-canonical/index.md)

## Sources

- [Root Zone Database – IANA](https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db)
- [Top-level domain – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-level_domain)
- [Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/top-level-domain/